NEWS OF THE DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1934, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Over 200 Inglewood people visited the North Egmont hostel yesterday afternoon, when a concert was given by the Inglewood Band. In addition to 25 private cars, four buses made the trip. Fine weather was experienced until about 4.30 o’clock, when misty rain commenced.

On Friday last while travelling over the Puhoi flats, between Waiwera and Warkworth, Mr. H. N. Ellerm, manager of the Taranaki Forests at Oakura, met with an accident, his car leaving the road and overturning. Remarkable escapes from injuries were experienced by both Mr. Ellerm and his companion.

An optimistic note, that prosperity was not so far away, was struck by Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., when speaking at the New Plymouth Caledonian Society’s celebration on Saturday night. “With the rise in wool prices,” said Mr. Smith, “people in the main centres are better off than we are. But I think that when the price of butter-fat goes up, as it must, the return of prosperity will not be so far away.”

Distant relationship to the immortal Robert Burns was claimed by the Rev. J. D. McL. Wilson, who spoke at the Burns night celebration of the New Plymouth Caledonian Society on Saturday. A nephew of the poet, Dr. Burns, said Mr. Wilson, was one of the first Presbyterian ministers at Dunedin. His granddaughter had married some time ago Mr. Wilson’s brother, so that the connection, though remote, was there. After more than a week during which, owing to the weather, it was impossible to venture out, fishermen at Moturoa yesterday secured some good catches, chiefly hapuka. The weather was calm and “luck” generally was good. One launch-owner caught more than 60 fish, including some fine hapuka, and another caught over 50. The average catch was about 40.

That unique specimen of the lily family, the Agapanthus, is out in all its glory just now, but its leaves are being attacked in some of the New Plymouth gardens by a brown beetle, causing them to appear diseased. The beetles live in the base of the leaves, and return to their home as soon as they are disturbed. Not only did they remove a dozen gooseberry bushes, but marauders in a Fitzroy, New Plymouth, garden on a recent evening dug and took with them a quantity of potatoes. The next day the owner of the garden, fearing further raids on his potatoes, dug the remainder and put them in a sack which he deposited in an outhouse. Sack and contents disappeared the following night. Over 600 passengers left Auckland for Australia last week in three passengervessels. The Niagara left for Sydney on Tuesday evening with 114 passengers from Auckland, and the Monowai sailed on Thursday afternoon with 251 passengers for Sydney and Melbourne. The Mariposa, which arrived from Los Angeles on Friday with 95 passengers, sailed for Sydney and Melbourne after embarking 249 passengers. Passengers on an excursion to Ngamotu from Hawera yesterday were badly treated by the weather, for though a large number bathed in the morning the peculiarities of the weather in the afternoon drove most of them into the shelter of the carriages stationed by the Moturoa wharf. A surprisingly large number of cars was on the beach during the afternoon, but the usual practice of the passengers was to sit in them in preference to venturing out into the open.

One of the oldest Maori chiefs in the Bay of Islands district, Hemi Wihongi, died on Thursday morning in the Rawene hospital, aged 84 years. He was a grand-nephew of the famous chief Hongi Ika and in every way lived up to the traditions of his high rank. He was a native of the old school, his sterling character and broad outlook earning the goodwill and esteem of the European population in the Kaikohe district, where he lived, while his own race treated him with the marked respect befitting his high birth. The Taranaki county workmen have been busy during the past few weeks cutting back sharp comers and widening and improving Junction Road near the New Plymouth hydro works, This section has always been bad and somewhat dangerous owing to the narrowness of the asphalt and the camber at the comers being on the wrong side for the rapidmoving motors. The section of road is being scarified and remetalled and then bituminised. Next year the council hopes to complete the road- to. the chain bridge (Walwakaiho), the junction between the two counties.

Why do fanners not grow their own vegetables? This question was asked by a New Plymouth business man recently who said on Friday that of the. various farmers who had called at his establishment no fewer than 14 had vegetables, bought at the marts, in their cars. Vegetables just now, he said, were certainly very cheap, but that was no reason 'why farmers should not have their own potatoes and vegetables. The work involved in growing them was not very much, and it was a reflection on their own industry that they should buy what they could grow. To see the sun rise a party of four men left the North Egmont hostel at 12.30 a.m. yesterday for the summit. Two more who had camped on Humphries Castle for the night joined in the ascent. The hostel was reached again at 7.45 a.m. Messrs. J. Stewart, Eltham, and A. S. Willan, Lowgarth, climbing from Dawson Falls yesterday, reached the summit via the East Ridge and returned by the Dawson Falls route. The Misses Goulding walked from Dawson Falls to North Egmont. Mr. H. N. Murray and a party of five Eltham people made the trip from Dawson Falls to Mackay Rocks. Rain fell during the trip. “I consider it would help New Zealand if it could be arranged for the people of the country to travel to other parts of the Dominion more frequently than they do,” said Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., speaking on “Our Own Land” at the Burns night celebration at New Plymouth on Saturday night. “People from overseas who come to New Zealand actually know, after they have travelled the country for a time, far more of the country than we do —an altogether wrong state of affairs,” he added. “If North Island people could meet those from the South Island more frequently it would, in these days of crisis, lead to a better understanding of problems.” For the first time the latest version of the National Anthem was played at a recital at Kawaroa Park, New Plymouth, by the Regimental-Municipal Band yesterday. The rendering calls for an opening roll on the drums, a soft entry and a climax with the full strength of the band. The work of the band, under the leadership of Captain F. W. G. McLeod, was heartily applauded by the good attendance. The programme was: March, “Court Lincoln” (Ord-Hume), Waltz Suite ’’Dreaming” (Fletcher), hymns, including “Lavinia” (Duckworth), National Selection “Gems of Cambria” (Rimmer), fox trots “Always” and “Laughing at the Rain” (Noel Gay), quickstep “Cottonopolis” (Anderson). A collection was taken during the recital.

Although the mist of Thursday and Friday was not repeated during the week-end the weather was too uncertain to permit of sports or bathing. After rain on Saturday morning, the sun shone for a time during the afternoon, but by that time it was too late to reconsider decisions already made. Yesterday the weather, fine in the morning, became unsettled in the afternoon, light showers being the rule. The weather affected the working of the Federal steamer Kent, which has been delayed for two days. The steamer Kaimai, which arrived from Wellington on Saturday morning, took 42 hours for the voyage. Most of the time she was steaming slowly owing to the mist reducing visibility. Referring to local industries at Dunedin on Friday, the Prime Minister said that controversy sometimes took place between those interested in primary and secondary industries. It would be admitted that both industries must exist in the country. Any person who held the belief that a country like New Zealand must confine its attention to one class of industry would show that he had failed to make a study of the condition of affairs in other countries. In New Zealand a number of splendid industries had been built up. He was pleased to see how they were progressing and to know that they were turning out first-class' articles for public use and consumption. He would not hesitate to say that the production from our factories would stand comparison with production from factories of any other country in the world. He came from Ayr years ago. Stocky, with an exceptional breadth of shoulder, he was equipped with all the good humour and the dourness that enable so many Scots to survive hardships after hardships without a souring of their spirit. He wanted a bed at New Plymouth last night. He had worked for his tucker, had been paid sustenance in a city, had waited for a job and become sick of waiting. Then, shouldering his meagre swag, he had set off on a long, long tramp through the country. A day at ensilage here, a day’s. haymaking there, work for his food and a few odd shillings, but many days with only miles of walking. “Aye mon,” he said last night, “but I’ve got Robbie Bur-r-ns in my bag. An’ sometimes when there’s nae wor-r-rk, I sit on the grass by the road and read him. It’s graund hoo he puts the pecker in ye. He kind o’ gives ye mair stummach to face the wur-rld an’ a’.”